Indonesia and France explore cooperation in defense and technology

The Republic of Indonesia and France have agreed to explore cooperation in defense, security, and transfer of defense technology, according to a report.

During the 2+2 meeting in Paris, France, on Friday, the Indonesian and French governments agreed to cooperate in various fields. 

Retno Marsudi, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, represented the Indonesian government. Catherine Colonna, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, and Sébastien Lecornu, the Minister of the Armed Forces of France in the government of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, represented the French government. 

During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations between Indonesia and France. They agreed to increase cooperation in various sectors. 

The Indonesian Minister of Defense said in a statement, “The 2+2 meeting went very well. Our relationship with France, especially in the defense field, is the best in decades.” The Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Secretariat General of the Indonesian Defense Ministry, Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha, also confirmed the statement.

During the meeting, the Indonesian Minister of Defense conveyed Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo’s keenness to boost cooperation with France in the defense sector. Subianto and other France leaders discussed ways to boost military cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of education, soldier exchanges, and joint training.

After the meeting, Subianto said, “We are very satisfied with the meeting. We see very good strategic cooperation in the future.”

The French Embassy in the Republic of Indonesia said that the meeting was successful. It stated that the two countries had the same interests and aspirations.

Reportedly, France and Indonesia also discussed legal frameworks to strengthen partnerships and expand cooperation in the maritime sector, disaster management, cybersecurity, and handling transnational crimes. The leaders also agreed to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.